Schumer gets frack comment blowback

There’s a bit of blowback this afternoon to comments that New York’s senior US Sen Chuck Schumer made earlier on Monday about the possibility of natural gas fracking in New York.

The money quote in his exchange with MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough probably was “If the governor feels it’s going to be done carefully, I sure would,” Schumer said when asked if would like to see it done in upstate New York, if it could be done carefully.

That didn’t sit well with some members of the state’s anti-fracking contingent.

Julia Walsh of Frack Action and New Yorkers Against Fracking said she was “dismayed” by the remarks:

“We are dismayed that Senator Schumer is out of touch with the realities of fracking as well as the broad-based statewide and growing national movement against it. Senator Schumer claims that most Democrats support fracking, but national and state polling show a plurality of Americans and New Yorkers – and a majority of Democrats and many Republicans oppose increase fracking. The more people learn about fracking and the science the more they reject it. Senator Schumer should listen to the concerns of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who have called for a ban on fracking given that this industrial process poisons our water, pollutes our air and makes people sick. New Yorkers deserve more from our senators than blindly following gas industry propaganda, and we urge Senator Schumer to re-evaluate and take a position that doesn’t support poisoning our families.”

Rick Karlin

54 Responses

I think what Senator Schumer meant was that Democrats across the country who are getting showered by fossil fuel campaign donations and corporate lobbying are in favor of fracking. I live upstate, with fracking going on just over my town’s border in PA. We’ve seen our PA neighbors suffer air, noise, and light pollution, water wells loaded with methane and toxic heavy metals, deteriorating health, loss of property value, road degradation, accidents, increased crime, skyrocketing rents, and a host of other ills. These negative impacts hit people of all political parties and independents. I am embarrassed that my Senator is so oblivious to what fracking in your town or literally in your backyard looks/feels/sounds like. No politician should declare they support fracking without living 500 feet from a wellpad – or even closer to a compressor – for a few months during operations, as our PA neighbors have been forced to do. I doubt they would come away from the experience as supporters.

There is no safe fracking and increasing evidence that is harmful to our health, the environment, our communities. What about solar? The host that is asking Schumer these questions tries to squeeze in a comment about jobs but what about the solar industry? What about the jobs that will come from transforming New York’s grid to 100% renewable? What about the new utility project that will localize energy and create real long term jobs?

The time is now… we need to shift immediately from fossil fuels and truly be post-oil. I want my future to be full of solar panel arrays and electric cars, not well pads and water contamination.

That’s Sen Chuck Schumer today. What will be Sen Chuck Schumer tomorrow? He does nothing but ride the political gravy train and takes credit for actually doing little or nothing. He’s nothing more than a political grandstander behind a microphone and cameras.
The only way to describe him is through a dictionary.
Hyperbole – deliberate and obvious exaggeration used for effect, e.g. “I could eat a million of these”
Grandiloquence – a pompous or lofty manner of speaking or writing.
Exaggeration – transitive verb to make something appear more noticeable or prominent than is usual or desirable.
Embellishment – to make an account or description more interesting by inventing or exaggerating details.
Ornamentation – the addition of decoration that enhances beauty or appeal. Quotes
Enhancement – to add to the strength.
Augmentation – the increasing, or growth, of something in number, amount, size, strength, or intensity, or the amount by which something grows or is added to.
Intensification – to become, or make something become, greater or stronger.
Amplification – the act or process of making something larger, greater, or stronger.
Magnification – the process of increasing the actual size or magnitude of something. The increasing of the importance attributed to somebody or something.
Aggrandizement – to increase or improve the power, wealth, influence, or status of somebody or something, especially by a
Beyond this, he rarely follows through with any of his podium postures.

My gosh the anti-fracking group sounds like a bunch of left wing extremists. Allow me to re-write the quote as if it were written by the NRA and lets see if I am correct:
~~
We are dismayed that Gov. Cuomo is out of touch with the realities of legal and responsible gun ownership as well as the broad-based statewide and growing national movement for it. Gov Cuomo claims that most Republicans support legal gun ownership, and national and state polling show a plurality of Americans and New Yorkers – and a majority of republicans and many Democrats oppose increasing restrictions on legal and responsible gun ownership. The more people learn about guns and the statistics the more they support legal gun ownership. Gov Cuomo should listen to the concerns of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who have called for a ban on the NY Safe Act given that such a small amount of crimes are committed by guns that are legally owned by responsible gun owners. New Yorkers deserve more from our Governor than blindly following the Anti-Gun propaganda, and we urge Gov Cuomo to re-evaluate and take a position that doesn’t support trampling our second amendment rights and the rights or our families.”

We’re in a 10 year minimum gas glut from all the fracking being done elsewhere. Policymakers and landowners would be wise to let others risk their environment until it is proven long-term that the industry has perfected the process to the point where it poses minimal, localized risk. The gas will be worth more then, both fiscally and from a scarce resource point of view. What’s the worst that could happen by waiting- renewable energy or some other fuel with even less environmental (i.e., global warming) impact makes the gas less valuable? I doubt that is going to happen soon.

Actually Mr. Schumer is correct. It can be done safely and is creating jobs across the country and in many industries. It is time for NY to finish and issue the rdSGEIS and allow the industry to get to work.

This goes to show how crazy this debate has become. All the man said was, in essence, a truism–if it can be done carefully and safely it should be pursued. But in their hysterical advocacy opponents lose credibility. the only thing they don’t attribute to fracking is increased childhood obesity!

The position expressed by Senator Schumer this morning is a huge political development. He has now joined Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who previously confirmed that she supports hydraulic fracturing in New York State. Senator Schumer confirmed what we all know – that most Democrats, including the President, are in favor of hydraulic fracturing if it’s done safely. Of course, everyone wants to see it done safely. When pressed about the differences between Pennsylvania and New York, Senator Schumer was deferential to Governor Cuomo’s delays, but in a halfhearted way.

This interview demonstrates that Governor Cuomo is out of touch with mainstream Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, who recognize that hydraulic fracturing has revolutionized our energy policy, which has resulted in energy independence, dramatic savings to energy consumers and significant improvements in air quality. For instance, former New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, recognized that increasing the use of natural gas in the Metropolitan New York area was key to improving air quality in New York City as he implemented a policy to wean New York City off of Number 4 and Number 6 fuel oil. Governor Cuomo should take similar steps and embrace natural gas development as a way to create economic prosperity in upstate New York and to continue to improve air quality in downstate New York at the same time.

What this means about the relationship between Senator Schumer and Andrew Cuomo remains to be seen, but it is important to recognize that Senator Schumer represents all of New York State, including the upstate residents whose mineral rights have been left stranded by the lack of decision-making from the Cuomo administration on this issue. Just a week ago, we were speaking to a leader of one of the landowner organizations that is part of the 70,000 landowners who have sued New York State, including Governor Cuomo, to compel issuance of the final standards for hydraulic fracturing in New York. We were told about several members of his organization who have died waiting to have their mineral rights developed, including one member who did not have money to pay for health insurance or the health treatments needed to treat his condition. The ongoing disregard for the rights of property owners in New York should come to an end.

If this torpedoes Chuckie “Is that camera rolling?” Schumer’s political career, it would be a win-win for all.
There are no paneceas. New York has of the most restrictive environmental regulations in the country. With proper planning and investment, HVHF can be done safely and provide a home grown resource, no worse than any conventional industry that we are all trying to woo back to “Empire State”.

sen.schumer,why not help us sr.citizens ith our national grid,of price change everymonth,mine just ent up 60.00,how are us seniors supposed to live,although welfare receiptants get theirs paid for not holding a job.im retired now and pay our own bills,not getting any bills paid by someone else,give us a break will you,help.

Yet, all the Antis can do is go on and on about water wells with gas contamination. Well Duh?!?! If you drill your water well in an area where gas and oil has been seeping to the surface for millions of years, you are going to get those compounds in your water.

Here is just one seep location. The gas actually bubbles through surface water to the open air.

I’m disappointed that Sen Schumer hasn’t read the consistent polls, such as the Pew, and many more in NYS, that all show a majority of NYers against fracking, and the numbers grow every week. Or better yet, talk to everyday New Yorkers, who are not on the industry payroll or who own leases, and ask them how they feel about air and water contamination. And if it’s so safe, why not dispose of the waste in Brooklyn Mr. Senator?

I used to think that Senator Schumer was in touch with the people of his state. Well, he seems to be in very good touch with the desires of the natural gas industry, not me and most of his fellow New Yorkers. Where does he spend his time?

Two weeks ago. Dream. LNG holding area on the Hudson. Going off like a bomb one area at a time. A barge on fire. People jumping on a water craft to safety. One man trying to jump on board. They were all tested because they were exposed to an extremely toxic chemical. The supervisor said he was dying. They were trying to save people as it was going up.

The future. Bays turned brown frothing with oil and gas as the scum of the earth throw a white powder on it saying all is well.

This is only the good stuff. Worse. It will trigger volcanic activity. They are fracking around the Yellow Stone Caldera. These people are criminals and should be treated as such.

kudos to Chuck Schumer, and to Tom West at #14 above. he is one of the lead attorneys indirectly representing tens of thousands of Southern Tier landowners against the abject tyranny of Andrew Cuomo, and Sheldon Silver and his lapdog Assembly. last i knew, it was unconstitutional to seize private property for the supposed “public good” without just compensation. yet that is exactly what has been happening in NY for the past SIX YEARS. NY is the ONLY state in the Union with shale reserves that are effectively off limits- in direct contradiction to the mandate of the DEC which is to develop, safely, our indigenous mineral resources and minimize waste of same.

NIMBYs, like the ones commenting here, are ALL fossil fuel consuming polluters and major league hypocrites. they bought the Gasland/Ithaca Park Foundation fearmongering campaign hook line and sinker, and none of you EVER set foot in PA to see the success story there. HVHF does NOT pollute aquifers. your magic wand greenspeak about immediate conversion to renewables is pure fantasy, especially in this climate zone. NY currently generates the bulk of it’s electricity from NATURAL GAS, followed by nuclear, hydro from the Robert Moses dam at Niagara Falls, coal, 2% wind, and BARELY measurable solar. and that is JUST ELECTRICITY- which has almost NOTHING to do with space heating, transportation requirements and chemical feedstocks!! it is truly embarrassing to live in a state replete with so many people out of touch with reality.

furthermore, the incredible bias exhibited by this newspaper (and others) to prominently print wildly unsupported claims like those by self-anointed authorities such as Frack Action in the article are beyond the pale. “poisons our water, pollutes our air, and makes people sick”, “poisoning our families”… hogwash. documentation please? i want to see the trail of death and disease in 32 other states. just keep repeating the lies until it sticks- the NIMBY philosophy. and it’s not like we live in some sort of pristine wilderness– YOU are poisoning YOURSELF every time you turn your car key, turn up the thermostat, or flick the light switch………

It would probably help if a definition of “safely” were put forward. For the anti’s it is, I am sure, a process by which no polutants are emitted, and the posiibility of an accidental release of pollutants is 0.00%. By that definition, they are correct, it cannot be done “safely”.

Of course neither can cutting your lawn, or driving, or making steel, or….